Thursday, May 5, 2011

RIP in Perth

Claude Stanley Choules, the last living First World War veteran in the world, died today, aged 110. He was in the British Navy. He also served in the Second World War, for the Australian Navy having emigrated there in the 20s. What a life he must have experienced. He and his wife were married for 80 years (until her death aged 98) which must also be some sort of a record; they had 3 children, 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Choules ended his days in Perth, which is also where Liz's Uncle Lambert died several weeks ago, aged 85 (positively premature compared with Choules). He was a teacher by profesion but a Cornishman through and through, and helped set up Mebyon Kernow, the Party for Cornwall, in 1951, becoming its first Secretary. Later he moved to (what was then) Rhodesia and South Africa before retiring to Australia where his daughter (Liz's cousin) Gwyneth lived. We visited him twice there. He was a mischievous gent with a constant twinkle in his eye. I'm glad I knew him. Needless to say, we missed the funeral, and that of my own Uncle David who died a few weeks ago too, though not in Perth.